


Variation in Interpretation

by Mysana



Series: Naruto Short Fics [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cold blooded Murder, Gen, No Uchiha Massacre, but maybe other massacres, but not by who you would expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-05-08 13:36:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysana/pseuds/Mysana
Summary: How other Naruto characters would act in Itachi's placeSo far: Kakashi, Sakura, and Ino





	1. Kakashi Hatake

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [These Raging Rivers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14591190) by [Mysana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysana/pseuds/Mysana). 



When Kakashi graduates, the Hatake clan hosts a party. Perhaps to outsiders their reaction may have been subdued. No one came to pick Kakashi up from his last day and only Hatake clan members were invited to the party. Kakashi enjoyed it though. Or rather. He was glad it happened. The party was hosted by his Aunt (on his father's side of course) and there were just over a dozen guests. Kakashi's older cousin, Umi, grinned as she handed over Kakashi's first nin-kin. A small pug. 

"His mama’s one of the smartest ladies we’ve got. I've been calling him pug-kun but you can call him whatever you want."

“He’s Grandma Momo’s?”

“Yep. He’ll be the best tracker in the village if you train him right.”

“I will,” Kakashi promises, and hold the dog securly in his arms.  _ His _ dog.  _ His. _

The party is small, just as Kakashi would prefer. There’s still a lingering feeling of loss at their numbers though. Unlike the Inuzuka, the Hatake’s numbers have been declining for years as the village quietly forgot about them. Even as the Hatake died for their village, never letting a comrade die if they could help it.

Kakashi knows that the Hatake believe in the safety of a pack above all else. He knows that he might die for his teammate. (That his father would cry, and Umi would cry, and the village would forget him.)

The Hatake are resigned to being forgotten. They’ve accepted it as the cost of their actions. 

(Kakashi doesn’t understand. Not entirely. He’ll die for his teammate. But… But is doesn’t match what the village asks for? The rules say that the mission is more important than their teammates life. His father said that the rules are wrong, sometimes. But- Kakashi can’t accept that. If shinobi fail to follow the rules then how are they better than international bandits? Than rogue samurai? What makes a shinobi honourable other than following the rules of their village?)

 

*** 

 

Kakashi is placed under the guidance of a new jounin. Clan members smile at him, rubbing his head and pretending that neither of them can smell the disappointment. New jounin are jounin who make mistakes. Are jounin who die. Kakashi can smell the way his clan as started to mourn him before he’s dead.

 

*** 

 

Father is home one night. Staring at the sword that used to belong to Kakashi’s mother. Kakashi closes the door and walks away. He’ll go to war because his father followed the rules of their clan instead of the rules of their village. _ Kakashi turns away from his clan and towards a war he would do almost anything to avoid. _

 

***

 

The Hatake accept being forgotten, their values more valuable than their memory. The village fails its end the agreement. The village fails to forget Kakashi’s Father. (The kunai that Kakashi buy are overly dull and the cost of food has increased. Kakashi suspects that this is not just the effects of preparing for war. He ignores it because he has no other choice.)

 

***

 

Kakashi and Minato are sent off with the second round of shinobi. Sakumo hugs him tightly and Kakashi lets him, but doesn’t respond. ( _ You could have saved me from his father. _ )

When Kakashi returns from the battlefront, Umi is dead. His father is not the noble shinobi Kakashi once worshipped. (On a pedestal so high, is it a wonder he shattered from the fall?)

 

**

 

The Hatake clan hasn’t been large for several generations now. Each member they have is incredibly strong, their bloodline’s white chakra lending itself to strong lightening attacks. Their noses more acute than any other. Their dedication relentless. 

(The walls around the Hatake land has slashes from the attacks of other Konoha shinobi. Their voices ignored in the meetings with clan heads and the Hokage. Kakashi’s second cousin once removed dies and his body goes unfound.)

 

***

 

Kakashi gets teammates. They’re terrible. (Would Kakashi die for them? He’s not sure.)

 

***

 

A drunkard attacks Kakashi on the street, blaming him for the death of his son or something. It’s hard to tell with everything else that’s going on. When an Uchiha arrives to assess the situation, Kakashi is taken in under suspicion of ‘attacking a civilian’ and ‘inciting civil unrest’. They don’t let him for hours. (So many Uchiha have died in the war.)

 

***

 

At the chunin exams, Kakashi gets first place as well as a promotion. The applause is deafening in its silence. There aren’t enough members in the clan compound to be worth arranging a celebration. (Thirty clan members at the start of the war. Twenty-seven now. Twenty-three of them are on the war front. Sakumo and Kakashi are two of those still at home, and Kakashi can barely look his father in the eye without remembering his first, second, and fifty-third kill. Lightning chakra is good for that. Killing.)

  
  


***

 

At the end of the war there are twenty clan members left, and Sakumo is not one of them. 

 

***

 

Despite Sakumo’s honourable sacrifice, meant to relieve the pressure on the Hatake by removing the stain on their honour- The village hates them. Still. Kakashi avoids the clan compound unless all else fails. 

 

Rin and Obito are gone. Minato is busy. Kakashi trains and trains and trains. (The Uchiha hate them. The village hates them. Kakashi is clan head at age 10.)

 

Kakashi can tell when someone is following him.

 

***

 

“We would be better off leaving Konoha.” It’s Azami, Kakashi’s cousin although neither of them remember the technical details of their relationship. Azami’s 43 now, her husband, a civilian born shinobi died on a B-rank mission that went bad in the most suspicious of ways. 

 

“I agree,” Sakumo’s wolf says. He doesn’t have a name. Or maybe he does and Kakashi has forgotten. They don’t speak anymore, the blame of Sakumo’s death lies too heavy in the air between them.

 

***

 

“Say hello to your baby cousin, Kohana,” Auntie says, speaking the her new baby even as Kakashi stands waiting to hold her. The Hatake clan is going to leave Konoha. The Hatake clan is going to leave Konoha. The Hatake clan is going to leave Konoha. 

 

(A clan of missing-nin.)

 

***

 

“Kakashi,” the old man says.

 

“Danzo,” Kakashi returns. 

 

***

Kakashi likes Minato. He trusts Minato to train him, and work with him on missions. He likes Minato a lot more than he likes most of his clan to be honest. 

 

***

“Minato,” Kakashi says.

 

“Kakashi!” Minato grin, eyes tired below the heavy weight of the Hokage’s hat. Kakashi hesitates.

 

***

Kakashi doesn’t like The Hokage. He respects The Hokage. He follows the orders of The Hokage. 

 

***

“The Hatake clan would like to secede from Konoha.”

 

***

 

There’s a travelling clan in Fire Country. Nomads with white hair and a pack of dogs. Their clan leader is a strategic genius. Some even say he’s friends with the Hokage. 


	2. Sakura Haruno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, much like the previous one, only bears a faint resemblance to canon. Enjoy

The Haruno clan is not exactly the most intimidating. Not intimidating at all, really. As a clan of merchants turned shinobi they're still mostly remembered for the way that the Haruno clan symbol is found somewhere in basically all of the Konoha fabric related shops. 

(The transition from a merchant clan to a shinobi one is a tale often told at weddings. Sakura's great grandfather, the first clan head to live in Konoha wanted to corner the shinobi market for clothing, and decided the best way to do it would be for his son to train as a shinobi. It turns out that the Haruno clan had a tendency to enjoy the rush of a fight more than was decent. They always had really. During the Warring Clans Era, no one cared if a merchant slaughtered some bandits, but in the modern day, where a civilian who fought meant less money for the village, it was a bit more of a problem.)

Only about a third of the all Haruno were shinobi, but that was still a good 50 shinobi. Many of them didn't carry the Haruno name, it wouldn't do to be overly obvious about the strength of their clan. Really only the main family were shinobi who carried the Haruno name. That didn't stop them from being a clan though. They still respected Sakura's Mother above anyone else, including the Hokage. They still paid their taxes directly to the Haruno family instead of to the village. (Mother hated tax season.) They still had a clan symbol, and a reputation to those who were in the know.

Sakura graduates from the academy with decent, albite rather average, grades. Her mother smiles and hugs her, and her father can't quite keep all of the worry from his eyes. Sakura's Dad is a shinobi too, but not like Mother is. Mother is the kind of shinobi that kills people, that carries important messages, and completes higher ranked mission than her official status of chunin would lead one to expect. Dad is the kind of shinobi that runs patrols around the village and had helped to take care of the messenger hawks when Sakura was little and still needed an adult at home to cook dinner at night. 

"Sakura..." Dad says, trailing off before he can even get past her name. Sakura says nothing, too busy thinking about being Mrs. Uchiha. (The Uchiha clan is gone, it's true, but the rumours of their strength and ferocity carry on. Sakura wonders if maybe marrying Sasuke will mean that her children will be the kind of fighter that Mother expects from the next Haruno head.) 

"Yes?" Sakura asks with a small smile, because it's important to Dad that she not lose her femininity to the shinobi world - whatever that means. 

"You don't have to be a shinobi, you know that right?" As Dad says this, Mother's head turns quickly enough that Sakura knows that this is a comment from Dad alone, not both of them. She really wishes they'd agree one way or another, it's very hard to balance. Should she be a vicious shinobi, her skill so great that not even the international bingo book has her picture? Or should she be the lovely girl who just so happens to be a chunin strong enough to protect herself? Somehow Sakura gets the feeling she's failing at both, but she's not sure how to fix it.

"I know," she says and pretends that she can't hear Inner screaming in frustration from inside her head.

***

Sakura's on a team with Sasuke! That's great! -and Naruto! That's terrible! (And Kakashi? Which is ???)  

At first Sakura doesn't understand why she's on the same team as Sasuke and Naruto  _at all_. Like, not even a little bit. The Harunos are a clan meant for genjutsu, assassination, and sabotage. Sasuke and Naruto are both such obvious frontline fighters, it's kind of funny. But then. Sasuke's the last of his clan? Maybe they  _don't_ want him on the frontline? Not while he carries an entire bloodline on his shoulders?

Naruto has got to be a ninjutsu based fighter, based on the ridiculous number of clones he can make. (Sakura's pretty sure she couldn't make that many  _normal_ clones.) Sasuke is probably a ninjutsu fighter  _as well_ given the fact that he already knows an elemental jutsu. 

There's two problems with that. The first is that Sakura is pretty sure teams are supposed to be more balanced with a mid-range ninjutsu fighter, a long range genjutsu fighter, and a short range taijutsu fighter. The second is that Sakura really doesn't sync with whatever brawling style Naruto has, nor the fast sweeping style that Sasuke has. (She doesn't really sync with anything at this point, admittedly, since Sakura really is not great at taijutsu.)

Really, Sakura's just confused by her team placement. Then they get a C-rank mission to Wave. 

When the two shinobi rise out the puddle and kill Kakashi, something changes. It's not very big and honestly Sakura doesn't notice at all until later. Later though, she remembers the rush of adrenaline through her system. She remembers how  _amazing_ that felt. (Oh it was terrifying and she hated it and wished it was over... but at the same time...)

Then there's that Kiri missing-nin and Naruto and Sasuke work together without her- and then it's over. (Sakura feels almost dizzy afterwards, the fading adrenaline and frustration and fear and anger. Sakura is exhausted, but she's never felt more alive.)

(Team Seven is a team of fighters. Of shinobi that won't get held back from the fight no matter what.)

***

Sakura likes the adrenaline rush, but she doesn't understand what the implications of this are until the chunin exams. Here's the thing. Adrenaline comes from dangerous situations, which she got. The problem is that she didn't understand the connection- that you need to be strong enough to  _survive_ those situations to get more. 

Practicing taijutsu doesn't seem that useless anymore.

***

Sakura doesn't notice. It's not that she's stupid - she's not. It's not that she doesn't care about what her Mother works on each day - she does. And it's definitely not that she condones the situation - she definitely doesn't. Sakura just has other things going on. First she's becoming a shinobi, and then she's trying to find her place on the team, and then she's doing the chunin exam, and then  _and then_   **and then _._**

And then she's 15 and a half, and a man with a bandage over one eye is sitting behind a desk telling her that her clan has turned traitor. 

(Some small part of Sakura is peeved that the Haruno clan didn't bother to go full traitor and try to displace the Hokage or anything like that. That would be black and white and very clear cut. Technically, what they've done isn't even illegal.)

The Haruno clan has a monopoly on fabric and clothing, and is artificially driving the price up. (Treason number one.)  _And_ they're selling to other shinobi villages. (Treason number two.) _And_  they're lying about all of it. (Treason number three.)

Sakura can't tell which one Danzo is most upset about.

Given that the fabric used in chunin vests had been Konoha specific until a few years ago, Sakura can understand his anger. Chunin vests are fire, kunai, and waterproof as well as dirt, lightning, and slice resistant. They're very useful. 

The problem is that Danzo wants her to assassinate her own mother and dissolve the Haruno clan. Which Sakura is not, exactly, on board with. For one thing, that definitely wouldn't solve the problem. When Sakura mentions that, Danzo tells her to kill any treasonous Haruno.

Sakura thinks about telling Tsunade-shishou about this. Unfortunately, Sakura is about 50% sure that would result in the same thing, just not at Sakura's hand. Doing so would also take the decision out of Sakura's hands. (Technically the decision is in Danzo's hands and he's already made it. Sakura's not willing to blindly and automatically follow his commands the same way she would for Shishou though, so it's different.) 

On a very clinical level, Sakura doesn't actually have a problem assassinating her mother. Well- she does. Her village is more important though. The real core of the problem is that Sakura is pretty sure the  _entire_ clan is in on it, and she's not entirely down for another massacre. ("Oh," Inner says as the words 'Danzo' and 'Uchiha' and 'massacre' connect in her mind, "Shit...") Now that she thinks about it, the only reason she hasn't been brought into it is because her Dad's probably been kept in the dark as well. Sakura has been so busy that she hasn't had much time to talk with Mother in private. 

"Assassinating the Haruno clan would collapse the fabric industry in Konoha," Sakura says. Because she's not quite sure how to say 'I'm sorry, I love Konoha more than anything and definitely would murder my own family except that seems like a bad idea.'

"That is why I'm telling you to do this," Danzo says, "with Mebuki's death the Haruno clan would be under your control."

"Well, yes..." Sakura begins, "but that doesn't mean I could make them stop  _and_ keep them alive." The Haruno clan wasn't exactly like the Hyuuga clan where the head could give a command and it would just be followed, after all.

"Then don't keep them alive." 

' _I don't feel like you're listening to me._ ' Sakura doesn't say. She can't kill  _all_ of them  _and_ prevent the fabric industry from collapsing. After a moment, Danzo seems to read this from her expression though.

"You're telling me that all one hundred and fifty members of the Haruno clan are traitors." 

"Well..." Sakura says, because it sounds a fair margin better than ' _yes_ _'._ She gets the feeling Danzo hasn't worked with merchants all that much. Really, the only reason that Sakura's more scared of shinobi than merchants is because merchants don't know how to use chakra. So really when it comes down to it Sakura considers the Haruno clan considerably more dangerous than most of Konoha's shinobi clans. Merchants would murder you and sell your blood. Konoha's pretty lucky that the Haruno clan has restrained itself as much as it had - they're not exactly selling Kakashi-sensei off the highest bidder now are they?

Danzo does not sigh, nor does he pinch the bridge of his nose. Sakura gets the impression that he would very much like to do both. Instead he stares at her in a way that would be unnerving if she hadn't faced down against a silk merchant who had an invalid visa at Konoha's front gate. 

***

Sakura assassinates her mother over dinner. It's very civilised and afterwards as her Dad is freaking out, Sakura puts the comb that symbolises her leadership into her hair. She's not the first Haruno to become the head in this manner, but it's just as likely that the poison was from someone else. No one can prove anything.

***

The great thing about having a monopoly is that you can't be removed from power, not easily. (And when it comes down to it, assassination is the easy, and basically the lazy option. Political actions are much more strenuous.) So Sakura goes and speaks with _The Hokage_ as _The Haruno Head_.

The Haruno will officially sell to other nations, but at a much higher price which is heavily taxed. 

***

When Danzo goes missing, no one even glances at Sakura in suspicion. Why would they? The Haruno Clan Head isn't exactly intimidating, now is she?


	3. Ino Yamanaka

"Hey Ino," Sakura says one day over their toxicology homework.

"Yeah?"

"Why is Choji's dad Hokage, instead of yours?"

"Dad's too busy running the intelligence department," After a pause Ino adds, "And Shika's dad is the jonin commander, so he's busy too. Choji's dad used to have a genin team but they had all become chunin by that point."

"That makes sense, I guess. Did you get hemlock for question four?" And the conversation drifts off.

xXx

"Which departments are you aiming for?" Ino asks as she pulls her hair back into a braid. Her hairband had snapped during the fight which was not only annoying but dangerous. She'll have to talk to her dad about getting some of the fancier 'kunoichi' branded hairbands.

Sakura looks up from her ration bar to gauge how serious the question is, her head tilting ever so slightly. Hinata doesn't bother to look up, too busy gathering the paper from the 'body' of their 'target'. (The genin's breathing is slow and smooth, still unconscious.)

"I don't know. I think I want to start in General so I can try everything out. I kind of like the idea of going into genjutsu or medicine, since my chakra control is good. I've taken so many leadership classes that it feels like I have to at least try for upward movement. You know how it is," Sakura says, despite that fact that her teammates are both clan heirs, so it's not entirely true. They all have some idea of how hard it is for clanless shinobi to rise the ranks, despite attempts to improve their prospects over the past decade.

"I've been thinking about maybe going into diplomacy?" Hinata says, voice barely loud enough hear over the babble of a nearby stream.

"Oh, that's brilliant, Hinata!" Ino says, it really is. Hinata is really easy to underestimate and with very little work can pass as some rich girl from Capital. She's also way more patient than Sakura or Ino. Sakura makes a noise of agreement.

"What about you, Ino?" Hinata asks.

"I don't know anymore, I wanted to do something interesting. Get into the bingo book for my skills instead of my Dad's. I'm considered a high-interest target though, so I'm not allowed on foreign missions until I can look after myself. According to Dad that when I'm A-rank."

"That's insane!" Sakura insists, keeping her voice mostly quiet in her outrage. "Here, hold the scroll for a second—" the conversation pauses while they gather the 'intel' for the training exercise and seal it away. "That's totally not fair, how are you supposed to reach A-rank without going on high-rank missions?"

"I don't know! I think Dad just wants me to go into intelligence with him - which I have nothing against - but I want it to be a choice."

There are another few moments of silence as they each climb to the lower levels of the trees and starts the run back to the 'base'.

"The problem is that you're identifiable, right?" Sakura says, leading the group.

"Yeah, I think so."

"So what if… for example, you were wearing a mask?" Sakura's voice doesn't manage to sound entirely casual. "Like ANBU, hypothetically."

The forest around Konoha is dark and thick and even to someone who grew up in it, it's easy to get lost. Ino's glad they have a Hyuuga with them. (Really, their team is a bit overpowered since Ino could use a bird to find their way.)

"Your dad would kill you if you joined ANBU," Hinata says, mostly joking.

"They don't take just anyone, either," Ino says, but she's thinking about it. (She's only fifteen and won't need to decide for another two years. ANBU don't accept just anyone though so she'll need to take her last couple years old school seriously.)

xXx

It's considered impolite to bring up the Konoha Coup. People mostly pretend it didn't happen, since it was largely bloodless. Her dad hasn't really talked to her about it. She was only six when Choza became Hokage and she hasn't really cared about the whole situation except for the way it meant she can't graduate until she was seventeen.

"Ino Yamanaka." The voice comes from the shadows, which is never a good sign. "Your family are traitors to Konoha." The fact that they know who she is under her ANBU mask isn't great either. "Their actions will lead to the downfall of Konoha." Ino really wishes Sakura were here. Still. Backup should be here soon, if she doesn't check in with Bear in the next few minutes then they'll know something went wrong.

A bright red eye appears in the dark. It's the color of a sharingan, but it doesn't have tomoes. Instead, there's a pinwheel/four-sided shuriken shape. (That is really not a good sign.)

She triggers her emergency seal and then-

xXx

"Dad, I want to do this training camp!" Ino insists. (She does, she really wants to do this. Danzo-sama asked her to.)

"I don't trust Danzo, Ino-chan. We never found proof he was involved with Orochimaru, but…" he trails off for a moment and Ino feels revolted by his weakness. Danzo-sama would never let anyone defy him the way her father does.

"I want to be a good shinobi, Dad. This training camp will help."

"I-" Her father puts a hand to his forehead and she sees the moment he breaks. She doesn't smile, doesn't react, just waits. "Fine. But you have to check in with me."

"Dad! I'm a shinobi! I'm an adult."

"I know, I know."

"I can't be sending you letters like an academy student. It's only six months."

"I'll talk to Shikaku about it. I don't like it, Ino-chan."

"I know you don't, Daddy." Ino kisses her father on the cheek and walks out of the room with a bounce to her step. (She's pleased Danzo-sama.)

xXx

Maybe, if Ino hadn't been a Yamanaka, born and raised. Or perhaps if she hadn't met Sakura's Inner during a spar when they were thirteen. If Danzo was one of the Uchiha, or if he'd caught her off guard. If any one of a dozen things had been different then Ino would have been lost forever.

Danzo was an arrogant, old man; Ino was the pride of her clan; her best friend personified thought. So Ino fought, and someday she would be free.

xXx

Danzo-sama rants sometimes. About the Uchiha. About the graduation age. About Hiruzen Sarutobi. Ino listens and shows nothing, as a shinobi should. Danzo sends her on the sort of missions her father hates when he's upset. She kills children and seduces Capital officials. She infiltrates Kiri and steals children from orphanages. All as the quiet chant of 'Danzo-sama, Danzo-sama, Danzo-sama' repeats in the back of her head.

She knows what happens. She can remember the red eye reaching into her, tearing apart who she was and replacing it with who she is. She knows her old self would be upset. Her new self only cares about Danzo-sama though.

xXx

"Ino?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You've been acting differently." No, she hasn't. She's been acting exactly the same, just like Danzo-sama asked. She has to, to avoid raising suspicion.

"ANBU's just a bit different from what I was expecting I guess. I like it though." No she doesn't. Danzo-sama doesn't approve of feeling things.

"Have you been to your therapist recently? I'm due for a checkup." Sakura says, changing the topic.

"I see one of the ANBU therapists now; we have fortnightly meetings instead of bi-annual ones."

"That seems… almost excessive."

"I agree." (Danzo-sama agrees.)

xXx

"Sakura Haruno has noticed a change in my behavior, Danzo-sama."

"How?"

"I am unsure, she has been friends with the Yamanaka clan since a young age, myself in particular."

"Could she be swayed to our cause?"

"Perhaps, it would have to be a delicate operation. She is committed to me, but she is also loyal to Konoha."

"We are loyal to Konoha. Never doubt it, we do this for the good of Konoha."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

xXx

"The time draws near, Agent."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

"Tonight, after the ANBU patrol passes, you will destroy the Yamanaka clan. My other agents will take care of the Akimichi and Nara. Once this done you will return to my side."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

"It is time to return Konoha to its former glory, as it was under Tobirama."

Ino says nothing, it's not her place.

xXx

Ino doesn't feel regret. ROOT agents don't feel regret. ROOT agents don't feel anything. Still. The blood of her cousins brings her no joy. Their deaths are swift and as painless as possible. Not everyone is in the compound, but it's pretty close. There are four Yamanaka on various missions, all of whom will have mysterious accidents. Most of the Yamanaka are intelligence agents, a few go into ANBU like Ino did, but not many. She is far superior in skill to most of her family members. A few ROOT agents help her deal with any who might have caused trouble.

Danzo-sama's training doesn't allow for slacking off, not like the academy, which coddled its students. Naruto, her brother in all but blood, has been apprehended and will be kept securely.

ROOT agents feel nothing.

xXx

"Last night, Sasuke Uchiha was found in the Yamanaka compound," Ino announces, "the blood of my family, on his blade." Tears run down her face. The people of Konoha watch her. "He was apprehended by ANBU, but not before my family was massacred."

Sasuke Uchiha is dragged forward, he's been beaten and covered in seals. He appears unrepentant.

"He was not the only one found there," Ino lowers her voice, forcing the crowd to quiet their boos. "It appears as if they were going to steal the youngest of my cousins to use against Konoha. With him were Uchiha Keiko, Uchiha Akira, Uchiha Chinami, and Uchiha Fuuga."

There are more shouts and Ino waits for them to quiet down again.

"As you no doubt know, that was not the only tragedy of last night. The Akimichi and Nara clans were both massacred for their kindness to the Uchiha. As such, Konoha is currently under war restriction. There will be no leaving Konoha until the investigation is done. This was clearly a planned coup. It is only thanks to a warning from Danzo Shimura that their plan failed."

xXx

Ino does not announce that there are half a dozen shinobi missing (Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha, Gai Maito, Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten). That would shift public opinion too much. She doesn't say that some part of herself woke up as her blade slid through her father's neck. She doesn't say that Danzo Shimura will die for what he has done.

She doesn't need to say any of it, Konoha will learn.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta reading by the amazing To Mockingbird who you can find here: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3421041/To-Mockingbird
> 
> Edited 15/1/19
> 
> xXx
> 
> This obviously has a backstory that you can read below if you're interested.
> 
> Ino-Shika-Cho plans a coup. It starts after they realize that the Hokage had the chance to kill Orochimaru, and didn't take it. It had been building up for a while. The way the Hokage dealt with Danzo, with the Sannin, with his son, with Naruto. They hadn't been happy for a while, and during the Warring Clans era Ino-Shika-Cho had been one of the only stable alliances. (They also protected two dozen villages that lived in relative safety and comfort or the time.)
> 
> The Uchiha were caught and killed for planning a coup. Except, when you have the head of T&I and the Jonin Commander in on it (and who would suspect an Akimichi)? Well. They don't get caught.
> 
> The coup takes place after Shisui's death and before the Uchiha massacre and takes less than a full day. Danzo, realizing significantly too late what's going to happen, uses Shisui's eye to force Hiruzen to take the blame for everything Danzo did. (And so Shisui's eye closes and won't open again for ten years, or, around the time Ino turns 17.)
> 
> A lot of things change. Inoichi, being a Yamanaka and master of the mind in general, has opinions about the age of Konoha's shinobi. He could understand it during wartime, but despite the effect of Minato's death, Konoha is still one of the strongest villages. So he makes sure that the academy graduation age is pushed back. If at any point, a shinobi decides they don't like killing then they get transferred to the police force where there's a lot less killing. Shinobi also get regular mental health checks.
> 
> Shikaku also has opinions about the way things are run. ANBU are required to have (basic) medical training and to retire after 5 years. More advanced (interesting) lessons are taught at all years of the academy for those who excel. The Hyuuga are strongly encouraged to remove the torture element of the caged bird seal. It can, however, be activated by the wearer or by the head of the clan and still destroys the eyes of the wearer. Also, no Hyuuga is allowed to leave Konoha without the seal. (This is still a military dictatorship. Also, because the Sharingan must be activated to be useful after it's owners death, the Byakugan just requires the eye so it's a lot easier to steal.)

**Author's Note:**

> Tru facts: comments increase the chance of an update by approx. 4,000%


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